2008 Form Challenges

#12 Pleiades

This is a very new form. The Pleiades form was invented in 1999 by Craig Tigerman, Sol Magazine's Lead Editor. The Pleiades
is a star cluster in the Taurus constellation discovered by the Greeks and named the Seven Sisters, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno,
Electra, Maia, Merope, and Tygeta.

The basic form consists of seven lines, each line starting with the same letter as the one word title, and at first no meter or syllable
count was specified. Here is an example of that basic form.

Free

forget, this plea, for
freedoms breathe, that
falters now, within my chest, a
faint, and
fading beat, I keep, as
feathers
fall, I drift to sleep

Sasha Walker

Hortensia Anderson argued that it should be six syllables that represents that nearly invisible nature of one sister.
Others argue that it should be seven in that nearly is not complete invisibility and she can be seen. Here is an
example of the seven syllable form.

Treasure

Taken for granted by some
Too many times in the past.
The Gods loaned me you just
To treasure for a short while,
Then when it's time, feel free to
Take off back to Heaven, or
Tarry with me some time more.

Ryter Roethicle

Later it was agreed also that the one word title be extended to two or three words

Seven Sisters in the sky
Subaru's another name;
Seen by any naked eye.
Sometimes they are also called
SED, Matariki
Science named them The Pleiades
Seven lines of poetry.

-----

Ciao

"All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you."

Another final 'goodbye;'
An easy enough request;
All of us will remember
As she asked, that she loved us,
And we in turn loved her too.
Although she'll be sorely missed,
A new star is shining now.

-----

Drums

Deep down inside their rhythm
Does something to my spirit
Definitely speak to me,
Demanding I keep the beat.
"Do not worry," says my friend,
Dying with mirth at the old
Dame who has got to her feet.

-----

Grime

Gang murders on the increase
'Go get 'em first,' the cry;
Gone the days of love and peace
Ghetto boys are on the loose
Good citizens live in fear
Girls don't escape the bloodbath
Government throws hands in air.

-----

Hell

Heal our broken land they sang,
Hear our pleas as we look on
Helplessly as our youth die;
How can we stop the bloodshed?
Hell has claimed the minds of men,
Hearts blackened with evil thoughts,
Heaven help us all they cry.

-----

Howzzat

Have you heard the latest news
Here it is, it's pretty dark:
Hot off the press; they saw it
Hidden in the car trunk of
Her Royal Highness, it was
Hanging onto a key ring
Holy smokes… a golliwog!

-----

Old Friend

The friendship that we have shared
Time has not erased, even
Though distance separates us.
Tell me friend of my childhood,
That if we become too old
To stay in touch, you will still
Think about me now and then.

-----

So

Some lessons are hard to learn,
Simply because we will not
See what is in front of us,
Staring us dead in the face.
Seems to me we ought to look
Straight at it, accept the facts,
Stick around or walk away.

-----

Thoughts

Thoughts can keep you up at night
Telltale signs of good or bad;
The small voice saying 'Beware,'
Then if not heeded shouting,
"Take care!" They move like ocean
Tides, swiftly, ebbing, flowing
Through our mind. Better think twice.

-----

Where is the Sun

The sun's gone away,
Did not even say
'Adieu.'
I thought he would stay
At least for a day,
Our due.
But our skies are grey,
And my two dogs they
Are blue.

Just like that he flew
With clouds out of view,
To hide.
He left and in lieu
There's rain, what to do?
Abide.
Who cares, let him stew
Somewhere else, thank you,
I sighed.

It was looking darker-
In every way
Icy black clouds were forming
I wondered
Is this the place
I want to spend the rest of my days
In.

-----

Largo

Leave me be
Let me stay here a while.
Languor doth suit me
Long have I waited to
Look at the Sun once more, and
Lo he is there prancing across the sky.
Lady moon is there also…..Smiling.

-----

Listless

Lying awake, the
Lights are out.
Looking at the glowing spots and
Linking clouds of dark on the ceiling
Lids start to droop and you are
Losing trains of thought
Late from the office again.

In.

-----

Paean

Place your hand on my heart
Pheel the
Pulsing you create, each beat
Praising you and love
Pair banding's now achieved.
Peals of twinkling stars
Pray in thanksgiving,

-----

Rain

Rain and sunshine change moods
Recalling how the rain smells
Redolent of lush green lawns
Remembering damp flowers
Roses still flowering, not so
Rarely seeing yellow and
Red sending out their scents.

-----

Sometimes

Sometimes
Sharing is only a wish
Sometimes
Sharing becomes a dream
Sometimes from that dream
Scenes are shared
Securing sacred affinity

-----

Time (Dementia

Time takes everything
Too many things are lost
Togetherness and
Tenderness were memories
Taken and destroyed
Today will not be a memory
Tomorrow's too far away.

-----

Titanic

Try to follow your own dreams
Trails set by others aren't yours.
Two together as one is good
Two apart wait for disaster.
Too late I realised my way
Together we had drawn our path
Too long we've waited to be together.

Four purring cats look up at me,
furs sleek and shining, tails aloft;
fine whiskers tremble as they smile-
friendly faces, I know so well.
Fond of a freshly cooked fish meal,
flying through the air, chasing flies;
faithful companions for life.

Claims to the sky at full noon,
Crouched below sea level at dusk,
Colors tropical at the dawning;
Can't imagine how to tell time
Clothed by only midnights face,
Carefully set stars are moving
Cluing us in to their many sun clocks.

-----

Garnet

Gay lustrous beauty
Gives order to chaos
Glinting of transmutations powers,
Gazing upon it makes me aware of the
Geometry of the spirit within,
Glass alone cannot possess,
Glamours of magical energy.

-----

Gibbous

Glowing as she wanes
Goddess moon shows less light,
Growing darker in her nightly dress,
Gathering motes of onyx dreams,
Graying down to blackest black,
Giving midnight sight nothing to howl up at,
Great Mother awaiting her rebirth.

-----

Shaky

Summertime is meant to be green,
Seeing every shade of flower in bloom,
Somehow it is different nowadays...
Sodden homes in Iowa,
Shearing fires in California,
So much financial discontent,
Shaking our heads as food and gas go up again.

-----

Songs

Song sparrow sings melody,
Sun rise is his harmony,
Shadows play between the notes,
Synchronicity bring them all together
Sure to make mornings glad,
Smiles spreading across your face
Shining up a new day with grace.

-----

Wimes

Why not have a crisp rose with that hot dog
Without wrinkling your nose, or
With popcorn a la champagne,
Whatever your taste be~
Wait till you try hamburgers with Merlot,
Wash down some salad greens with Zinfandel,
Wanting your barbecue ribs with any good Aussie red!